Let the Games begin!
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, has officially opened the 18th Commonwealth Games at a spectacular opening ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Having launched it on its journey 12 months ago when she handed it to Australians Cathy Freeman and Elle McPherson in London, the Queen watched as her Baton was brought on to the podium by former Australian athlete John Landy.
Just before 10:30pm local time the Queen then read from a message that had been stored inside the baton before declaring the Games open.
Before reaching the Queen, the Baton travelled up the river, was passed to Sydney AFL captain Barry Hall and on through the rest of the AFL captains until it reached Melbourne skipper David Neitz.
Neitz passed it on to AFL legend Ron Barassi, who in turn handed it to athletics legend Herb Elliott, back to Sydney 2000 star Freeman, and on former Australian athletics stars Ron Clarke, Marjorie Jackson-Nelson and Landy, Victoria's governor.
Earlier, many of the 6000 athletes from the 71 competing countries marched into the arena to rapturous applause, with a special reception reserved for the home team, which was led by walker Jane Saville, who carried the Australian flag.
While the baton was making the final leg of its journey as part of a light and sound show along the nearby Yarra River, patrons at the MCG were treated to their own share of fun and celebration.
Local singer Delta Goodrem performed a song - called Together We are One - that she co-wrote with boyfriend Brian McFadden and Guy Chambers to wrap up proceedings, while the national anthem was sung by the fans at the ground.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra also performed followed by Australian bands The Church and The Cat Empire, while Dame Kiri Te Kanawa sang Happy Birthday to the Queen ahead of her 80th birthday in five weeks.
The entertainment also included a winged flying tram - one of the symbols of the host city - as well as displays involving hundreds of children, Aboriginals representing Australia's original inhabitants, ballet performers and dirt bike riders.
More than 80,000 spectators watched the festivities at the MCG begin with a cricket game involving former Australian stars Simon O'Donnell and Max Walker and several rising stars of Victorian cricket, before the ceremony kicked off with the crowd counting down the names of the 17 cities to have previously hosted the Games.
Thousands of spectators who lined the banks of the Yarra River and packed Federations squad were also treated to fireworks, from the top of the stands at the MCG, along the river and from the tops of several buildings in the CBD, while the flags of Australia, England (Manchester 2002) and India (Delhi 2010) were raised.
Other dignitaries present were Games Vice-Patron Prince Edward, Melbourne 2006 Organising Committee chairman Ron Walker, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, and Commonwealth Games Federation President Michael Fennell.
